Display stand



March 17, 1936. w PALEN 2,034,115

DI SPLAY STAND Filed Nov. 22, 1934 INVENTOR.

if 32 8m ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE Ferry-Morse Seed Company, Detroit, Mich a' corporation of Michigan Application November 22, 1934, Serial No 154,225

'1 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved display rack or stand particularly intended to be used for the display of seed packages.

An object is to provide a display rack adapted to carry and display an assortment of seed packages of any suitable character such as the envelope type in a manner that, regardless of the numberof packages on display, they will always be in plain view and the display will present an attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide a display rack of the character described which is simple, inexpensive, of the knock-down type, and capable of being readily assembled and disassembled. In the distribution of flower and garden seeds it is a common practice for the seed houses to supply the seed packages on commission to the dealers and to take back, at the close of the season, all unsold packages of seed, and to furnish the dealers with display racks wherein the seed packages may be on display in the dealers store.

- The structure of the present application includes certain parts which are adapted to be returned at the end of the season with the returned packages of seeds and a portion of these from the lower tray and is supported upon a pair of detachable legs which are detachably telescoped into the rear pair-of supporting legs of the lower tray. Each tray is of a novel inexpensive construction and adapted to support the seed packages arranged. therein in such a manner as to effectively display the same.

Specifically, each tray is inclined upwardly from front to rear and comprises a plurality of shelves stepped successively upwardly from front to rear. The shelves are preferably of a troughlike construction extending transversely of the tray. Each shelf has a rear wall which extends upwardly and slopes rearwardly from bottom to top and a bottom wall which extends forwardly from the rear wall to the rear wall of the adjacent forward shelf and slopes downwardly from front to rear. A front wall is provided which extends upwardly from the forward edge of the bottom wall parallel to the rear wall of the shelf.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation of a display rack embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation 95 the display rack shown in Fig. 1,

' Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through one of the display trays,

Fig. 4 is a detail partly in section showing the connection between a tray and one of its su porting legs, 5

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a detail of 'one of the legs partly in section showing the tray connection.

My display rack may include any desired numl ber of trays being here illustrated in an embodiment comprising two trays, an upper and a lower. The upper tray I0 is providedwith a pair of independently detachable supporting legs 12. It superimposes the lower tray I 4 which is supported 15 upon two pairs of independently detachable legs l2. The upper and lower legs are here shown as of generally the same type of construction. They may preferably be formed of metal tubes and each leg carries as a permanent attachment a fastening bolt l6 adapted to secure the leg to its tray. The end of the bolt beyond the nut I1- is upset to retain the nut permanently thereon and the opposite end of the bolt has a large head l9. This head I9 is receivable through the enlarged end of a keyhole slot It in the end of the tray as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 whereby the le is secured to the tray. 1

The upper tray is supported by a single pair of legs only as shown. These legs telescope within 30 the upper ends of therear pair of legs of the lower tray as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. When so telescoped they seat upon the securing bolt l6 as shown in Fig. 6. Each tray comprises a frame having end portions and these end por- 35 tions are provided with V-shaped grooves within which the legs seat so that upon tightening the nuts I! on the bolts IS the legs are drawn snugly within the grooves to rigidly support the tray as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawing.

Each tray is made up of a frame having end walls 20, a front wall 2i, and a rear wall 22. The bottom of the tray is formed of a continuous sheet or strip of material such as cardboard or the like. This sheet of material is shaped to provide a plurality of shelves which are stepped upwardly successively from front to rear. These shelves are indicated as 24' and are arranged to carry a plurality of groups of seed packages 26 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The successive shelves are separated from each other by a double wall 28 as shown in Fig. 3, which wall forms the short front wall of one shelf and the upper portion of the higher rear wall of another shelf.

The front and rear walls of the tray and the supporting shelves are so arranged that when the tray is supported upon its legs the packages of seed slope rearwardly so that they will at all times maintain their substantially upright position and will plainly display the face of each package as it is brought to view. It will be noted that the walls 2| and 22 of the tray slope rearwardly at an angle to the perpendicular and that the rear wall of each shelf is similarly arranged and that the bottom of each shelf slopes downwardly from front to rear so that the seed packages 26 supported thereby tend to fall toward the rear of the shelf and to maintain the position shown in Fig. 3.

The sheet material which forms the bottom of the tray is provided with an upwardly turned flange 30 which is secured to the rear wall 22 of the tray and a downwardly turned flange 32 which is secured to the front wall 2| of the tray. It is also provided with end flanges .34 which are secured to the end walls 20 of the tray. These flanges are secured in place by nails or staples or other suitable securing means.

It is to be also observed that the material which forms the bottom of the tray is so shaped in the folding of the double walls 28 that each such wall has an edge portion of increased thickness and generally of a semi-tubular formation. The end walls 20 of the tray carry positioning studs 36 which are received within the ends of the tubular edges of the double walls 28 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Each tray is provided with a plurality of spaced dividing wires or rods 38 extending between the front and rear walls through the double walls 28 of the shelves separating the shelves into a plurality of compartments.

When arranged to display the said packages the two trays may be disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which position it is apparent that the packages in each tray are readily visible for display. When arranged for shipping the legs are adapted to be received within one of the trays lengthwise of the shelves either above or below the shelves and such tray may be enclosed within a suitable carton and carry the unused seed packages. The other tray may be returned or thrown away. If desired both trays may be thrown away and the metal legs and unused packages returned.

What I claim is:

1. A display rack comprising spaced superim-v posed trays each sloping upwardly from front to rear and each provided with a succession of shelves, each shelf having a bottom wall sloping downwardly from front to rear and a rear wall sloping rearwardly from bottom to top, the lower tray provided with a front pair and a rear pair of independently detachable legs, the upper tray provided with a single pair of independently detachable supporting legs detachably connected with the rear pair of legs of the lower tray and supporting the upper tray set back rearwardly with respect to the lower tray.

2. A display rack comprising a tray having a. frame and a bottom wall formed of a continuous sheet of material bent to provide a stepped succession of shelves so shaped that each shelf is of a trough-like character and has a double front 'wall the upper edge of which is of a tubular construction, the end walls of the tray provided with positioning studs received within the tubular ends of the double front walls of the shelves to position the same. V

3. A display rack comprising a tray supported upon a front pair and a rear pair of detachable legs to slope upwardly from front to rear, said tray having a frame provided with side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, said front and rear wall sloping rearwardly from bottom to top, said tray having a bottom wall arranged within the frame and formed of a continuous sheet shaped to form a plurality of shelves stepped successively upwardly from front to rear of the tray, each shelf having its bottom wall provided with downwardly turned end flanges secured to the side walls of the tray supporting the bottom wall to slope downwardly from front to rear and having a rear wall sloping rearwardly from bottom to top, the rear wall of the rear shelf being secured to the 'rear wall of the tray frame, the front shelf having its bottom wall provided with a downwardly turnedflange secured to the front wall of the tray frame.

4. In a display rack, a tray supported to slope upwardly from front to rear and comprising a frame having side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, said front and rear walls sloping rearwardly from bottom to top, a succession of shelves arranged within the frame stepped upwardly from front to rear of the'tray, each shelf comprising a bottom wall extending from a point adjacent the lower margins of the side walls of the frame forwardly normal to the front and rear walls of the frame to a point nearer the upper margins of the side walls than the lower margins thereof, and parallel front and rear walls formed continuously with the bottom wall and extending upwardly and sloping rearwardly from the bottom wall to adjacent the upper margins of the side walls, said bottom walls and rear walls having end flanges turned downwardly and rearwardly respectively and secured to the side walls of the frame, said tray provided with a pair of front legs and a pair of rear legs detachably connected therewith supporting the tray to slope upwardly from front to rear, a second tray similarly constructed superimposing the first tray spaced thereabove and offset rearwardly thereof supported upon a single pair of detachable legs detachably connected with the first tray in proximity to the rear wall thereof.

5. In a display rack, a tray supported to slope upwardly from front to rear and having a frame provided with side walls, a front wall and a rear wall, said tray having a bottom arranged within the frame and comprising a succession of shelves stepped upwardly from front to rear. each shelf having parallel front and rear walls sloping rearwardly from bottom to top, the rear wall of each shelf overlapping the front wall of the next adjacent rear shelf, and positioning means carried by the side walls of the tray frame engaged between said overlapping front and rear walls.

6. A display rack comprising spaced superimposed trays each sloping upwardly from front to rear and each provided with a plurality of shelves stepped successively upward from front to rear, the lower tray provided with a front pair and a rear pair of detachable legs, the upper tray provided with detachable supporting legs coupled with the legs of the lower tray supporting the upper tray spaced above and setback rearwardly with respect to the lower tray.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 as characterized in that means is provided extending through each leg of the rear pair of legs for the lower tray securing said legs to the tray and the supporting legs of the upper tray are received within the rear legs of the lower tray and seated upon said means.

WILLIAM E. PALEN. 

